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Weekend Argument: The Best Worst Movies
Years ago I put up a post asking about the worst movies you all had seen. John Kluge’s post on Saving Private Ryan put me in mind of something else — what are the best of the worst movies you have seen? We’re talking not necessarily outright clunkers or films where you want to remove your own fingernails with a spork rather than endure another minute (those were covered pretty well in the 2012 post, though I’m sure we’ve got some additions). No, I’m talking the films that are just plain awful while still being hilarious, quotable, or just fun to put on for the sheer madness of them. You might cite Big Trouble In Little China, for instance, which is truly a film I can’t stand but many others enjoy greatly.
A few of my own include:
Beavis and Butthead Do America — The film is, in many respects, terribly dated by now (it’s 20 years old — feel old yet?), but I still crack up every time.
Barbarella — There is absolutely nothing redeeming about this film. And yet Jane Fonda is a beauty. And the film itself is total camp (a fur-clad spaceship interior?). Plus it gave us the name of a great New Wave band of the ’80s (Duran Duran).
Judge Dredd — A tacky adaptation of a comic book series that is mostly worthwhile for Rob Schneider.
The Fifth Element — High budget sci-fi flop with Bruce Willis, Chris Tucker, and Mila Jovovich. Very campy story, but funny in spite of itself.
What are yours? What hokey films do you watch just for fun?
Published in Entertainment
I actually liked Barbarella, but you have to put the 1980 Flash Gordon film on your list, even before the call back in Ted 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miU6ruUPZHI
Man, there were a lot of drugs in the Seventies.
I’m a huge fan of shark movies. Deep Blue Sea, Malibu Shark Attack, and that new one with that blonde Gossip Girl chick.
They don’t have to be good. I like the cheap thrill, lol.
Now see, I hated that Flash Gordon. I still can’t watch it, though my wife loves it, along with Buckaroo Bonzai.
I think you mean “except for Robb Schneider.”
I’ll defend both Judge Dredd & 5th Element! Don’t nobody dare sneer at them! I’ll admit their childish–almost naive. But that’s not such a bad thing! & an audience that can enjoy that is pretty good in my book, not too self-serious, nor unaware that even the unserious want heroes, even if peculiar heroes.
Another bad movie I’d defend similarly, although it’s nowhere near as thoughtful in its setting–Demolition man! Anyone remember that lemon?
That is also a very good bad one.
I haven’t seen it in many years, so maybe I’ve changed, but for me it falls into that category of movies that Rob Long always discusses, movies that you love because of how old you were when you first saw them.
I did recently record Buckaroo Bonzai based on the numerous mentions from @exjon, but I haven’t watched it yet.
Dang it, I was thinking of Demolition Man when Skip mentioned Judge Dredd. I just remember they kept playing current jingles on the radio.
One of these two guys is a really good actor who sometimes does a superhero act. The other one is the conscience of the people-
Well, you burned a lot of credibility with your Big Trouble in Little China comment, but I’ll play.
You have to include Iron Eagle, just for the “Gimme Some Lovin'” scene.
If Ben is the conscience, we need a new one.
I was thinking you were starting a thread on worst good movies. (Movies that terrible to watch, but somehow get critical approval. Citizen Kane wins that category hands down. Two boring boob less hours.)
Half the movies Sandler made fit here: Little Nicky! Also its twin brother, Spawn the movie! The waterboy! The longest yard! The one with Damon Wayans–Bulletproof was it? Lots’of’em!
I saw Barbarella when I was a freshman at an all male school. I was impressed with the opening credits.
Man, I’m going to have to go through my whole collection here.
Rocky Horror Picture Show ought to be on everyone’s list.
Coming out when it did, between Star Wars and Empire, that Flash Gordon movie was a huge disappointment. I have only seen it once in its entirety, and I have no desire to see it again.
Buckaroo Banzai, on the other hand, is one of my favorite movies. John Lithgow is beautifully manic in it, and I still reference John Bigbooty all the time. I’d love to see that movie rebooted, if I didn’t know Hollywood would screw it up (Total Recall, anyone?).
I still say these guys look like they raided the dumpster behind a Visigoth army surplus store.
Not to be too pedantic, but it’s Buckaroo Banzai. I think bonsai is some kind of tree thing.
My two candidates:
VHF – Weird Al’s crazy movie that also introduced the guy that played Kramer on Seinfeld his break.
Strange Brew – Take off you hoser! and a great performance by Max Von Sydow as the evil brewmeister.
Ditto. I must have watched it a couple dozen times.
Don’t forget Happy Gilmore
Return of the Living Dead. All 5 of them.
I love that movie. I often tell my wife “You’re real nice. If I didn’t have puke breath, I’d kiss you.”
Night of the living dead & Dawn of the dead, while badly made, especially the latter, are really thoughtful! Maybe nobody should see it but people who are curious about how the movies reflected on American society–critics, for example–but there’s lots to learn there.
I actually originally saw Barbarella as a late night re-run back in high school. I still have a VHS of it in my basement. That movie is pretty amusing.
My all-time favorite hokey movie is More Than a Miracle (1965) starring Sophia Loren and Omar Shariff. I recently watched it with one of my liberal, slightly feminist friends and it made her fairly uncomfortable. I mean, I guess he’s a little on the abusive side, but there’s WITCHES! PRINCESSES! HORSES! REALLY BAD EYEBROWS AND WIGS! Anyways, originally watched, again in high school, and recently acquired on DVD because they didn’t even put this movie on video until 2014.
Return of the Living Dead is an entirely separate franchise. The one where the zombies say, “Brains!!”.
Point of order. Judge is referring to the Return of the Living Dead movies, not the original Romero movies.
I’ve only seen the first one, but it is truly great, and therefore does not belong in this category of good bad movies.